Jakevion Buckley led the New Orleans Privateers to an 85-69 win over the UTRGV Vaqueros on Monday at UTRGV Fieldhouse, scoring a career-high 32 points. Buckley scored 22 of his points in the second half, helping New Orleans overcome a late push from UTRGV.
The Privateers saw their lead cut to four after UTRGV went on a 16-4 run with just over six minutes left. However, New Orleans responded by making seven of their last eleven field goals and finished the game with a 22-10 run. The victory brings the Privateers’ record in Southland Conference play to 2-1.
Defense was key for New Orleans early in the game, as they held UTRGV to just under 27 percent shooting from the field in the first half and limited them to six points in the paint during that span. A five-minute stretch featuring a 12-0 run gave New Orleans control midway through the first half. Coleton Benson started that run with a three-pointer, putting his team ahead by double digits.
UTRGV’s Koree Cotton scored 24 points and added eight rebounds along with three blocks. Filip Brankovic contributed 12 points for UTRGV, which improved its shooting efficiency to 55 percent in the second half but could not keep pace with New Orleans down the stretch.
Buckley shot 12-of-20 from the floor and also recorded five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Benson finished with 12 points while MJ Thomas had eight points and ten rebounds. As a team, New Orleans shot over 58 percent in the second half and totaled 50 points after halftime.
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